Here's what happened: A group of NASA researchers, led by Ames Center Director Dr. Simon P. Worden, posed in Viking regalia, alongside some fancy schmancy new NASA technology to illustrate the spirit of the agency and, as Chirayath says, " ...highlight NASA leadership in the modern space age." Chirayath, an astronautics grad student at Stanford, paid for the shoot out of his own pocket in the hopes, he says, that "maybe one day some kid [would] look at it and say, 'I want to work for NASA.'" He also used the photo shoot to promote some of that fancy, schmancy technology, known as Cubesat Launch Initiative, being developed at the Ames Center, where he also works.

Most senators, at this point, would have said, "Cool." Grassley thought he detected Loki, the Viking Wizard known as the Sly One, and demanded an investigation, specifically to determine if federal money went to pay for time off, costumes, even the makeup artist, a woman name Inna.

In his letter to Bolden, he also wrote: "The shoot appears to have been conducted on a Friday in December during normal working hours and depicts NASA employees growling, yelling and brandishing replica swords and daggers."

Oh no, growling and yelling, swords and daggers!

Casual Friday or not, this is something the senator will not put up.

Grassley, specifically, wasted Worden's time with the following:

1) When did you become aware of this photo-shoot?
2) Was this a NASA sanctioned photo-shoot? If so, who authorized the participation of these employees?
3) Was NASA public affairs made aware of the participation of these employees in this photo shoot?
4) How many NASA employees or contractors took part in this specific photo-shoot?
5) Will NASA receive any funds from Stanford or the photographer?
6) Aside from the employees' official time, were any other NASA resources used in the execution of this project, including but not limited to: government vehicles for transportation, construction materials for props, or computers for processing the images?
7. When, at what time of day, and for how long was the photo-shoot conducted? If it was conducted during work hours, was Annual Leave used by the employees present? If not, why not?
8. How many in NASA, its employees or subcontractors, are laughing at me at this very moment?

Okay, we may have made up that last one.

But there's an old Viking saying, senator: Pride and wrong often end badly.